For a star rating and complete review, visit Ind'tale Magazine online. Oct 2013 issue www.indtale.com

Roslyn was starting to question her beliefs about the paranormal, and Whip, her adversary, was getting pretty damn stiff standing in-between the walls spying on her.

The Scent of Roses is an engrossing and intriguing romantic mystery, which will kidnap the reader's attention from the very first page.

Roselyn Delaney is a strait-laced and strong minded woman who abandoned her home in Salt Lake City, to find her husband, Josiah. Their marriage had only been one of convenience, but still, she loved him. He had rescued her from the leader of a religious cult, the Strongites, by marrying her, and she was grateful to him for that.

It was dark when Roselyn came upon Josiah’s residence – the Rose House. She was shocked to learn that not only had her husband taken another wife, but that he'd been murdered. Furthermore, Roselyn discovered that she had just run right smack into the man who was accused of killing her husband – Whip Kincaid.

Roselyn was convinced that Whip Kincaid was her husband’s killer, and Whip Kincaid was sure that Roselyn had more to do with the murder than she was willing to admit. So if spying on the stuffy, Miss Prim and Proper was the only way he was going to extract information from her, then so be it. What he didn’t count on was actually falling in love with her.

It appeared that everyone, particularly the butler, was trying to coerce Roselyn into thinking that the Rose House was haunted, but she wasn’t that easily swayed. There was no such thing as ghosts; she believed, or at least she was hoping that was the case. Little did she know that the accused murderer, Whip, was lurking in-between the walls of the Rose House, and spying on her. In time, they would both help each other uncover the real murderer. But that alliance would not come to be until they both suffered several heated battles with one another.

I loved this book, the storyline, and the characters. Charlene Raddon has seamlessly woven together several character subplots, giving the story depth and intrigue. The Scent of Roses is an exceptionally well-written book, and so delightful, that readers will be glad they didn’t pass it up. I highly recommend giving The Scent of Roses a read!

~5 out of 5 stars~ Review by Peg Glover ( )

Roses hold a special place in many a woman's heart. Every once in a while my husband will surprise me with roses. The first time he had them delivered when I worked in a library. I cried...right there in front of the patrons. It was so sweet! Just the title of this book brought me back that moment in time and the love that I felt surrounding me.

The Scent of Roses by Charlene Raddon tells the story of a young woman in the time of the "wild west." Rosalyn makes a trip from Salt Lake City, away from everything she knows to flee to a imagined safety. Once she gets there, she stumbles upon the murder of her "missing" husband.

Rosalyn's predicament is made even worse because her husband has taken a second wife, but failed to mention that he was already married to Rosalyn. The plural marriage aspect of this novel drew me in even further. I can't seem to get enough of the TLC specials on plural marriage and this gave me yet another glimpse into this lifestyle.

At the heart is a love story that can't be beat. Throw in some ghosts, hidden passageways, and the love a father gives a child, you've got a great read! ( )

It's a western, mystery, historical, romance all swirled into one fabulous story! Set in the Arizona Territory in 1889, The Scent of Roses swept me back in time. With the backdrop of a rugged mining town, the stage set in a house full of secrets, a mysterious butler, a murder and plenty of questions to be answered, this book kept me turning pages till the end.

This was the first book I have read from Charlene Raddon and, though this was the sequel to To Have and To Hold, I had no problem following along and enjoying The Scent of Roses on it's own. The characters were well set up and the events didn't need any additional back story. I look forward to reading the other book because this one was so good!

Whip Kincaid and Rosalyn were dynamic characters I enjoyed watching open up and grow as the story unfolded. Believe me, a rough cowboy with a tender heart for his daughter will have your heart melted in no time. I was rooting for the couple from the start, as you do with any good romance, but it is always fun to see how the author brings them together.

I highly recommend The Scent of Roses and can't wait to check out more of Charlene Raddon's writing.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. ( )